Income analysis tools for wealth management

ABSTRACT

Enhanced processes, methods, tools, strategies, and techniques are provided for more effectively and efficiently processing, managing, analyzing, and communicating wealth related data and other financial information within a computing environment. In various embodiments, the analysis tools provided herein have been designed to correspond visually with a mental model employed by many clients in managing their wealth.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention embodiments described herein generally relate toprocessing financial information within a computer system architecture.In various embodiments, the invention more particularly relates tovarious computer-implemented tools for managing and processing financialinformation including wealth management data.

BACKGROUND

How to effectively and efficiently manage financial resources is animportant consideration for anyone who is responsible for cash, assets,or other material possessions that constitute wealth.

However, many wealth management tools do not provide adequate assistanceto wealth management clients, such as the customers of a financial orbanking institution, for example. Many currently available tools do notaddress the uncertainty that wealth management clients may feel withregard to what comprises their wealth and what direction the growth ofthat wealth is taking. Tools are needed that can increase both theperception and the reality of proper control of assets by the wealthmanagement client. Also, tools that can foster a better relationshipbetween clients and their advisors are critical for proper wealthmanagement.

In view of the foregoing issues, enhanced tools, techniques andstrategies are needed for processing, managing, displaying, andcommunicating wealth management information.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The utility of the embodiments of the invention will be readilyappreciated and understood from consideration of the followingdescription of the embodiments of the invention when viewed inconnection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an example of a wealth managementsystem that may be structured in accordance with various embodiments ofthe invention;

FIG. 2 includes an example of a screen display that may be configured inaccordance with embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 3A includes an example of a screen display and associatedanalytical tools that may be configured in accordance with embodimentsof the invention;

FIG. 3B includes an enhanced view of the screen display and associatedanalytical tools illustrated in FIG. 3A;

FIG. 4 includes an example of a screen display and associated analyticaltools that may be configured in accordance with embodiments of theinvention;

FIG. 5 includes an example of a screen display and associated analyticaltools that may be configured in accordance with embodiments of theinvention;

FIG. 6 includes an example of a screen display and associated analyticaltools that may be configured in accordance with embodiments of theinvention;

FIG. 7 includes an example of a screen display and associated analyticaltools that may be configured in accordance with embodiments of theinvention;

FIG. 8 includes an example of a screen display that may be configuredfor presentation in accordance with embodiments of the invention; and,

FIG. 9 includes an example of a screen display and associated analyticaltools that may be configured for presentation in accordance withembodiments of the invention.

DESCRIPTION

Various embodiments of the invention provide enhanced processes,methods, tools, strategies, and techniques for more effectively andefficiently processing, managing, analyzing, and communicating wealthrelated data and other financial information within a computingenvironment.

In developing embodiments of the invention, the inventors have addressedthe problem of how to present wealth management information to clientsin the most effective way possible. The inventors have recognized thatmany clients perform financial-related tasks such as paying bills,reviewing investments, opening mail, and other such activities in acentral place in their homes or offices. Various embodiments of theinvention provide a mental model or mental “buckets” of how the clientmight typically view financial information by allowing the client toview the information in a way that corresponds with the home or officeexperience. In various embodiments, the client is permitted to viewmultiple financial accounts as a consolidated display, while having thecapability to investigate the details of individual accounts as desired.

As described in more detail below, embodiments of the invention(sometimes referred to herein as “Wealth Insight” analytical tools),offer an innovative design interface that caters to the way that manywealth management clients want to view their assets. These tools can beconfigured to provide appropriate, distilled contextual information,transparency to the financial situation of the client, and acollaborative interface to support the client (e.g., through an advisoryteam relationship). These tools can reduce uncertainty for the wealthmanagement client, increase a sense of control, increase a depth ofsatisfaction with asset management, and foster healthy client-advisorrelationships.

FIG. 1 illustrates various aspects of an example of a wealth managementsystem 101 configured in accordance with certain embodiments of theinvention. The management system 101 may include one or more transactionprocessors 102 which may be programmed to process wealth managementdata, for example, and other information related to the accounts,assets, investments, and other financial data of various wealthmanagement clients 104. In certain embodiments, the transactionprocessor 102 may include a web server, for example, or another computersystem capable of processing data and serving screen displays and otheruser interface tools to the clients 104.

The transaction processor 102 may be operatively associated with one ormore modules 106A-106F that perform various functions within themanagement system 101. For example, an allocation module 106A may beconfigured to process and display data and user interface tools relatedto an asset allocation or asset mix in the portfolio of a client 104. Inanother example, an income analysis module 106B may be provided forsummarizing and displaying transactions that impact income available foruse by the clients 104. A performance module 106C may be provided forcomparing performance of client 104 accounts and assets against abenchmark such as a stock market index, for example. A transactionsmodule 106D may be programmed to allow clients 104 to readily manipulateand graphically represent transactions involving their investments orassets, for example, over a variety of different time periods. Inanother example, a resources module 106E may be programmed to provideclients 104 with numerous types of information (e.g., stock market news)and to manage interactions between clients 104 and a team of advisors.Also, a Net Worth analysis module 106F may be provided for assistingclients 104 with determining personal Net Worth calculations, forexample, based on a combination of assets (e.g., checking accounts,saving accounts, money market accounts, houses, etc.) and liabilitieswhich may represent future expenditures of financial resources (e.g.,college expenses, weddings, travel plans, etc.).

In various embodiments, the management system 101 may include one ormore data storage media 108 operatively associated with the transactionprocessor 102. The data storage media 108 may include data and otherinformation associated with one or more client 104 accounts, forexample, including data related to assets, liabilities, investments, andother financial information. The management system 101 may alsocommunicate with one or more external accounts 122 to receive ortransmit data. The external accounts 122 may be financial accountsassociated with the clients 104, for example. The management system 101may also be configured for communication with one or more researchvendor data sources 132. The vendor data sources 132 may provideinformation such as market news, for example, or other financial dataand updates. In various embodiments, clients 104 may communicate orinteract with the management system 101 through a variety ofcommunication devices 142. Examples of possible communication devices142 include personal computers (e.g., laptops, notebooks, desktops,etc.), mobile phones, smart phones, personal data devices, and manyother devices which can connect to the management system 101 through awireless or wireline connection (e.g., Internet, intranet, or anothertype of connection).

With reference to FIGS. 1 through 3B, an example of a portal screen 202that may be displayed to a client 104 of a financial institution isshown. In this example, the financial institution is a bankinginstitution and the portal screen 202 provides access to various onlinebanking tools that the bank might offer to the client 104. The portalscreen 202 may display financial information to the client 104, such asdata related to checking accounts and saving accounts, for example. Inaddition, the portal screen 202 may include a link 204 to a section thatprovides various “Wealth Insight” tools to the client 104. When theclient 104 accesses the link 204, the transaction processor 102 may bedirected to present a summary screen 302 (see FIGS. 3A and 3B) on adisplay of a communication device 142 associated with the client 104.

The summary screen 302 may be integrated with the current online bankingarchitecture of the financial institution. For example, the client 104may navigate from the summary screen 302 to other aspects of the onlinebanking experience (e.g., transfer funds 304, pay bills 306, business308, customer service 310, My Offers 312, or others). In variousembodiments, the summary screen 302 can be configured to provide a“brief” overview of the assets of the client 104. In certainembodiments, the client 104 may select which accounts, assets, or otheritems are included in the calculations and other information processingperformed by the “Wealth Insight” tools. For example, the client 104 mayselect asset objects 314, 316, 318 that represent accounts to include ina “My PNC Folio” section 320 of the screen display 302. For example,selection and grouping of the asset objects 314, 316, 318 may beperformed by clicking, dragging, and/or dropping the asset objects 314,316, 318 on or within the vicinity of the “My PNC Folio” section 320. Inthis manner, calculations performed by the tools described herein can beadjusted and revised based on the type of asset objects that comprisethe “My PNC Folio” section 320. It can be seen that this click-drag-dropfunction can facilitate grouping of accounts in a mental model forviewing or manipulation by the client 104. In addition, the “My PNCFolio” section 320 can be configured to provide a quick view of thepertinent information for the accounts selected for the client 104,including the value of those accounts. Selection and manipulation ofasset objects, liability objects, and other types of objects may beaccomplished with a suitable user manipulation device, such as a mouse,a stylus, a finger of a user, or by using a variety of other suitablemanipulation devices.

In various embodiments, an overview section 322 provides a summary ofthe value of accounts selected. Also, information including realized andunrealized gains for both long-term gains and losses and short-termgains and losses may be presented for the accounts. A pendingtransactions link 324 can be accessed to generate a list of pendingtransactions such as transactions reflecting investment decisions madeby the client 104, for example.

An “Allocation” section 326 may be configured to provide a summary ofthe allocation of assets across the accounts selected in the “My PNCFolio” section 320. This section 326 can provide a summary of assetallocation for the client 104 accounts, including how they arepositioned, what holdings they represent, and their concentrations. Forexample, if the client 104 is of retirement age and is drawingsignificant cash from the accounts for living expenses, then the client104 might desire to maintain a greater percentage of assets in the fixedincome category because of volatility concerns associated with otherforms of investment (e.g., equity investments). It can be seen that the“Allocation” section 326 provides a convenient alternative for theclient 104 to viewing accounts separately, including accounts heldwithin the financial institution and accounts external to theinstitution.

In various embodiments, an “Income” section 328 provides an indicationof the income produced by the accounts selected in the “My PNC Folio”section 320. This section 328 provides an indication of what funds theclient 104 may have drawn for a given time period (e.g., month-to-date,year-to-date, or other), as well as an estimate of funds remaining forincome for the relevant time period. For example, if the client 104 isin a retirement phase and is drawing significant funds for livingexpenses from the accounts, then the client 104 may want to know howmuch income is available for budgeting expenses such as utility bills,mortgage payments, taxes, and other living expenses.

A “Performance” section 330 may be configured to provide a summary for agiven time period (e.g., month-to-date, year-to-date, or another period)of how the selected accounts have performed financially over the timeperiod. It can be appreciated that presenting a year-to-date value forperformance, for example, may reinforce a long-term mentality for theclient versus a shorter time period such as month-to-date. Within the“Performance” section 330, a chart or other graphical representation 332can be provided to illustrate performance of the selected accounts. Thissection 330 may also be configured to highlight more specifically netcontributions or withdrawals, including income being generated from theperformance of the holdings, and potentially gains or losses associatedwith the accounts. In addition, in certain embodiments a percentage rateof return for performance may be calculated and displayed based on theselected accounts. In various embodiments, a benchmark (e.g., S&P Index)may be selected and presented for comparison purposes. Even though theselected benchmark may not be entirely applicable to the holdings orallocations of the selected accounts, the benchmark may nonethelessserve as an indicator that the overall economy is doing well, forexample, and that the client 104 accounts are performing better or worsethan that benchmark.

In various embodiments, a “Net Worth” section 334 may be provided tosummarize and display a Net Worth calculation for the client 104. A“View Details” link 336 can be provided to access more details of howthe Net Worth calculation has been performed (see discussion below). Itcan be seen that making adjustments to the composition of the “My PNCFolio” section 320, such as by removing or adding accounts, can beconfigured to adjust the summary sections presented on the screendisplay 302, as well as the operation and calculation of otheranalytical tools described herein.

In certain embodiments, one or more in-context help videos can be viewedby selecting the help link 338. The in-context help videos may beconfigured as video demonstrations of how to access and manipulatevarious portions of the screen display on which the link 338 isprovided. For example, selecting the help link 338 on the current screendisplay 302 may provide, among other content, a video that demonstrateshow to select the “View Details” link 336 to access details on the basisfor the Net Worth calculation in the “Net Worth” section 334. It can beappreciated that the content made available through the help link 338can be a function of the particular screen display on which the helplink 388 is presented.

FIG. 4 includes a screen display 402 that illustrates aspects of anexample of an allocation analysis tool 404. In various embodiments, theallocation analysis tool 404 graphically presents by type of asset(e.g., equity, fixed income, cash, or alternative) the currentallocation of assets or asset mix for the client 104. In accordance withthe discussion above, a graphical display portion 406 of the tool 404may be generated in response to one or more client 104 accounts selectedin a “My PNC Folio” section 408 of the screen display 402. In thisexample, account or asset objects for investment management 410 andrevocable trust 412 have been selected for inclusion in the “My PNCFolio” section 408, while an IRA-related asset object 414 remainsunselected.

In various embodiments, the graphical display portion 406 of theanalysis tool 404 may be presented as a pie chart with multiplesegments, such as an equity segment 422, a fixed income segment 424, anda cash segment 426. In one aspect, by hovering over or selecting thesegments 422, 424, 426 with a user manipulation device (e.g., a mouse),information regarding that particular segment 422, 424, 426 can bedisplayed. In the example shown, the manipulation device is hoveringover the equity segment 422 to display a value of $14,080 for the equitysegment 422. In certain embodiments, selecting a segment 422, 424, 426can also be configured to display a list 428 of the assets or accountswhich comprise the selected segment 422, 424, 426. Selecting differentsegments 422, 424, 426 can be performed to filter the holdings in theselected client 104 accounts and generate a revised list 428.

In certain embodiments, in the example of the allocation analysis tool404 shown in FIG. 4, the graphical display portion 406 may be configuredwith one or more sets of nested concentric rings. For example, selectingan inner ring 432 of the graphical display portion 406 may be configuredto provide a total value of the selected asset type (e.g., the value ofall cash holdings in the cash segment 426). In various embodiments, oneor more sub-segments 434 may be included within each concentric ringportion of the display portion 406. Selecting the sub-segment 434 may beconfigured to display an account or holding that forms a component partof the selected asset type. For example, the sub-segment 434 mayrepresent cash holdings within a money market account of the client 104.As shown in this example in the equity segment 422, one sub-segment maybe designated to represent small market cap holdings and anothersub-segment may be designated to represent large market cap holdings.Examples of sub-segments for the fixed income segment 424 includetreasuries, corporate bonds, and municipal bonds, among others.Selecting a sub-segment may also be configured to correspondingly updatethe list 428 on the screen display 402. In this example, various largemarket cap assets are displayed, such as when the large market capsub-segment of the equity segment 422 has been selected.

In various embodiments, a summary breakdown 442 of the entire assetallocation for the selected client 104 accounts can be presented on thescreen display 402. In certain embodiments, the graphical displayportion 406 of the allocation analysis tool 404 can be configured tochange appearance (e.g., shading, coloring, highlighting, or other likeappearance) in the event that a desired asset allocation is below orabove a desired level of asset type allocation. For example, if a 40%allocation of cash is desired but recent changes in investments have nowresulted in a 30.2% allocation of cash (as shown), then the appearanceof the cash segment 426 can be altered by the system 101 to reflect thatthe desired allocation does not exist within the client 104 accounts orholdings. This feature can serve as a warning signal to the client 104or a financial advisor to consider adjusting the mix of assets toachieve the desired allocation levels.

FIG. 5 includes a screen display 502 that illustrates aspects of anexample of an income analysis tool 504. The income analysis tool 504permits a user to visualized income inflows and outflows associated withselected client 104 accounts over various time periods (e.g., monthly,yearly, or other). Income inflows can represent deposits into accountsor changes in investments (e.g., interest and dividends), for example.Income outflows can represent account withdrawals initiated by theclient 104, for example. In certain embodiments, the tool 504 may alsobe configured to display estimated income expected for the client 104accounts for the remainder of a selected time period. For example, anexpectation of future income in the form of dividend or interest inflowscan be calculated and presented as estimated future income.

In various embodiments, one graphical display portion 506 of the tool504 may be provided to display net withdrawals or income outflowsassociated with the client 104 accounts over a predetermined time period(e.g., year-to-date). Another graphical display portion 508 may beprovided to display income inflows experienced by the client 104accounts during the same time period. In the example shown, thegraphical display portion 508 may be divided into a first segment 510that illustrates actual income inflows into the selected accounts, and asecond segment 512 that illustrates future estimated income associatedwith the accounts. In certain embodiments, the graphical display portion508 may be further divided into one or more sub-segments that representspecific sub-periods within the selected overall time period. Forexample, the sub-segments may represent specific months of apredetermined year-long time period.

In various embodiments, the income analysis tool 504 may be configuredto permit a user manipulation device to select a given segment orsub-segment to yield more detailed information associated with theselected segment or sub-segment. For example, by hovering over a givenmonthly sub-segment, transactions associated with the income inflows andoutflows for that monthly sub-segment can be displayed. In certainembodiments, a transaction list 514 can be displayed that illustratestransactions for a given time period. In the example shown, transactionsfor the year period are displayed. These transactions may include “MyActions” transactions 516, such as deposits or withdrawals initiated bythe client 104, and/or income 518 realized by account holdings, such asthrough interest or dividend inflows. In addition, an estimate 520 offuture income for a given time period may be displayed in thetransaction list 514. It can be seen that the income analysis tool 504can be useful for enabling clients 104 who depend on significant incomefrom their account holdings to manage and plan for present and futureexpenses. In addition, income inflows and outflows can be monitoredclosely over time by both clients 104 and their financial advisors tomake appropriate adjustments to investment strategies, for example, andother financial decisions.

FIG. 6 includes a screen display 602 that illustrates aspects of anexample of a performance analysis tool 604. In various embodiments, theperformance analysis tool 604 provides a graphical illustration of theperformance of the selected client 104 accounts over various selectedtime periods against one or more predetermined benchmarks or marketindices (e.g., an S&P 500 index). In the example shown, a month-to-datecomparison of client 104 account values 606 is presented along with abenchmark index of values 608 for the same time period. As describedabove, selecting a specific account or accounts in a “My PNC Folio”section 610 can isolate performance for only those accounts that havebeen selected. In various embodiments, an account performance section612 can be provided that displays actual account performance figures,including starting values for the accounts, contributions made to theaccounts, withdrawals made from the accounts, income realized by theaccounts, and/or gains or losses experienced by the accounts. In certainembodiments, one or more different time periods 614 may be selected forthe analysis (e.g., month-to-date, year-to-date, one-year performance,three-year performance, five-year performance, or another period). Also,dollar or percentage values 616 may be selected for the comparisondisplayed by the tool 604. For example, a percentage of performance ofthe selected client 104 accounts above or below the selected benchmarkmay be presented in a rate of return chart.

It can be appreciated that comparisons yielded by the performanceanalysis tool 604 can provide a relative measure of client 104 assetvalue against a predetermined benchmark. This may serve to stimulatediscussions between the client 104 and a financial advisor regarding theexpected or desired performance of assets in the client 104 accounts.For example, the client may be concerned that account performance doesnot suitably match current economic conditions as evidenced bypotentially superior performance of a selected market index.

FIG. 7 includes a screen display 702 that illustrates aspects of anexample of a transaction analysis tool 704. The transaction analysistool 704 provides a visual representation of transaction activityoccurring within selected client 104 accounts for a variety ofpredetermined time periods. In various embodiments, a selection slider706 facilitates manipulation and filtering of sub-period transactions(e.g., monthly sub-period transactions occurring within a year timeperiod). In the example shown, the selection slider 706 can be employedto select several months out of a year-long time period of accounttransactions. In various embodiments, consecutive months can be selectedwith the slider 706, as shown. In other embodiments, a reasonablecombination of non-consecutive and consecutive periods can be selectedfor the analysis. In certain embodiments, a transaction list 708including the selected time period of transactions can be presented onthe screen display. The transaction analysis tool 704 facilitates visualinterrogation of account value, and the transaction details displayed inthe transaction list 708 can be synchronized with the visual display.

In various embodiments, a search tool 710 can be provided to enablesearching and displaying transactions by various criteria, such as bydate posted, description, quantity of shares, income, principal, and/orrealized gain or loss, among others. In addition, an export link 712 maybe provided for exporting transaction activity data to a desiredspreadsheet program or financial planning software (e.g., “Quicken”software), for example.

FIG. 8 includes a screen display 802 that provides various financialinformation resources for clients 104 that may be accessed and employedin connection with one or more of the analysis tools described herein.In a “Market News” section 804, information regarding current marketresearch, as well as market performance data, can be displayed. It canbe appreciated that such information may be derived from a variety ofsources for market news and data and can be provided as a research toolfor investigating investment decisions or developing other financialstrategies. In various embodiments, an “Investment Corner” section 806can be provided with links to blogs or other commentary about investmentstrategy or current economic activity, for example. Information providedin the “Investment Corner” section 806 may be proprietary informationprovided exclusively to clients 104 that employ the wealth managementsystem 101.

In various embodiments, an advisor team section 808 may be offered toallow users to designate a list of preferred wealth advisors. A team ofadvisors may be presented to the user from a pool of potential advisorsto include in the team section 808. In a secure environment, clients 104and advisors may exchange information about client 104 accounts,investment strategy, general economic conditions, or other informationrelated to making financial decisions. In one aspect, the user may bepermitted to arrange the team of advisors within the section 808 in anorder or hierarchy that is preferred by the user. For example, thesystem 101 may be configured to alert the first advisor listed in theteam section 808 if a decision regarding an account or transaction isrequired by the client 104.

In certain embodiments, selection by an advisor for the advisor teamsection 808 may be configured to facilitate communications betweenclients 104 and their designated advisors. For example, if a member ofthe advisor team section 808 publishes an article on investmentstrategy, then that article may be directly forwarded to the “InvestmentCorner” section 806 by virtue of selection of the author as a member ofthe client 104 team. In this manner, the user may be offered a degree ofcontrol regarding which content is displayed on the screen display 802.In another aspect, the client 104 has ready access to communicate (e.g.,send an e-mail) questions or comments regarding financial decisions totheir preferred advisors.

FIG. 9 includes a screen display 902 that illustrates an example of aNet Worth analysis tool 904. The Net Worth analysis tool 904 can beconfigured to assist a user with identifying assets and liabilities andto calculate a Net Worth value based on the identified assets andliabilities. In this manner, the Net Worth analysis tool 904 can beemployed to generate a personalized balance sheet of assets andliabilities for clients 104. In various embodiments, the tool 904 mayleverage aspects of the click-drag-drop functionality (as describedabove) to create groupings of assets and liabilities. In addition,groupings can be created by checking an option box or otherwise flagginga given account to indicate that the account should be included in theNet Worth calculation. The tool 904 offers the capability for a user toadd, modify, or manipulate assets and liabilities, including itemsinternal to the financial institution that controls the managementsystem 101, as well as items external to the institution. Once one ormore groupings 906, 908, 910 have been created and customized as desiredby a user, asset and liability objects 912-928 representing asset andliability accounts can be readily moved into, out of, or betweendifferent groupings. Manipulation of the asset and liability objects912-928 can be accomplished by use of the click-drag-drop functionality,for example, as described herein. In this manner, clients 104 can beprovided with enhanced flexibility to group and dissect asset andliability groupings which reflect their mental models of theirparticular financial situations.

In various embodiments, assets or liabilities that are non-monetary maybe created as accounts and included within or excluded from thegroupings 906, 908, 910. Examples of non-monetary assets include artcollections, automobiles, vacation homes, real estate, among manyothers. With this feature, the user can include whatever representsvalue to the user and can account for (or not account for) the assetwithin the Net Worth analysis. For example, a user may create an accountfor a favorite sport vehicle but not include the account in a groupingof assets, because the user does not desire the value of the sportvehicle to be accounted in the Net Worth calculation. Likewise, withregard to liabilities, an account can be created for a future liability,such as to fund a child's college education, and that account can beincluded in an appropriate grouping to become part of the Net Worthcalculation. In certain embodiments, a graphical portion 930 of the NetWorth analysis tool 904 can display the total Net Worth of the client104 as calculated based on the given groupings of assets andliabilities.

The examples presented herein are intended to illustrate potential andspecific implementations of the present invention. It can be appreciatedthat the examples are intended primarily for purposes of illustration ofthe invention for those skilled in the art. No particular aspect oraspects of the examples are necessarily intended to limit the scope ofthe present invention. For example, no particular aspect or aspects ofthe examples of system architectures, user interface layouts, or screendisplays described herein are necessarily intended to limit the scope ofthe invention.

It is to be understood that the figures and descriptions of the presentinvention have been simplified to illustrate elements that are relevantfor a clear understanding of the present invention, while eliminating,for purposes of clarity, other elements. Those of ordinary skill in theart will recognize, however, that these sorts of focused discussionswould not facilitate a better understanding of the present invention,and therefore, a more detailed description of such elements is notprovided herein.

Any element expressed herein as a means for performing a specifiedfunction is intended to encompass any way of performing that functionincluding, for example, a combination of elements that performs thatfunction. Furthermore the invention, as may be defined by suchmeans-plus-function claims, resides in the fact that the functionalitiesprovided by the various recited means are combined and brought togetherin a manner as defined by the appended claims. Therefore, any means thatcan provide such functionalities may be considered equivalents to themeans shown herein.

In various embodiments, modules or software can be used to practicecertain aspects of the invention. For example, software-as-a-service(SaaS) models or application service provider (ASP) models may beemployed as software application delivery models to communicate softwareapplications to clients or other users. Such software applications canbe downloaded through an Internet connection, for example, and operatedeither independently (e.g., downloaded to a laptop or desktop computersystem) or through a third-party service provider (e.g., accessedthrough a third-party web site). In addition, cloud computing techniquesmay be employed in connection with various embodiments of the invention.In certain embodiments, a “module” may include software, firmware,hardware, or any reasonable combination thereof.

Moreover, the processes associated with the present embodiments may beexecuted by programmable equipment, such as computers. Software or othersets of instructions that may be employed to cause programmableequipment to execute the processes may be stored in any storage device,such as, for example, a computer system (non-volatile) memory, anoptical disk, magnetic tape, or magnetic disk. Furthermore, some of theprocesses may be programmed when the computer system is manufactured orvia a computer-readable memory medium.

It can also be appreciated that certain process aspects described hereinmay be performed using instructions stored on a computer-readable memorymedium or media that direct a computer or computer system to performprocess steps. A computer-readable medium may include, for example,memory devices such as diskettes, compact discs of both read-only andread/write varieties, optical disk drives, and hard disk drives. Acomputer-readable medium may also include memory storage that may bephysical, virtual, permanent, temporary, semi-permanent and/orsemi-temporary.

A “computer,” “computer system,” “component,” or “processor” may be, forexample and without limitation, a processor, microcomputer,minicomputer, server, mainframe, laptop, personal data assistant (PDA),wireless e-mail device, cellular phone, pager, processor, fax machine,scanner, or any other programmable device configured to transmit and/orreceive data over a network. Computer systems and computer-based devicesdisclosed herein may include memory for storing certain softwareapplications used in obtaining, processing, and communicatinginformation. It can be appreciated that such memory may be internal orexternal with respect to operation of the disclosed embodiments. Thememory may also include any means for storing software, including a harddisk, an optical disk, floppy disk, ROM (read only memory), RAM (randomaccess memory), PROM (programmable ROM), EEPROM (electrically erasablePROM) and/or other computer-readable memory media. In variousembodiments, a “host,” “engine,” “loader,” “filter,” “platform,” or“component” may include various computers or computer systems, or mayinclude a reasonable combination of software, firmware, and/or hardware.

In various embodiments of the present invention, a single component maybe replaced by multiple components, and multiple components may bereplaced by a single component, to perform a given function orfunctions. Except where such substitution would not be operative topractice embodiments of the present invention, such substitution iswithin the scope of the present invention. Any of the servers describedherein, for example, may be replaced by a “server farm” or othergrouping of networked servers (e.g., a group of server blades) that arelocated and configured for cooperative functions. It can be appreciatedthat a server farm may serve to distribute workload between/amongindividual components of the farm and may expedite computing processesby harnessing the collective and cooperative power of multiple servers.Such server farms may employ load-balancing software that accomplishestasks such as, for example, tracking demand for processing power fromdifferent machines, prioritizing and scheduling tasks based on networkdemand, and/or providing backup contingency in the event of componentfailure or reduction in operability.

In general, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art thatvarious embodiments described herein, or components or parts thereof,may be implemented in many different embodiments of software, firmware,and/or hardware, or modules thereof. The software code or specializedcontrol hardware used to implement some of the present embodiments isnot limiting of the present invention. For example, the embodimentsdescribed hereinabove may be implemented in computer software using anysuitable computer programming language such as .NET, SQL, MySQL, or HTMLusing, for example, conventional or object-oriented techniques.Programming languages for computer software and othercomputer-implemented instructions may be translated into machinelanguage by a compiler or an assembler before execution and/or may betranslated directly at run time by an interpreter. Examples of assemblylanguages include ARM, MIPS, and x86; examples of high level languagesinclude Ada, BASIC, C, C++, C#, COBOL, Fortran, Java, Lisp, Pascal,Object Pascal; and examples of scripting languages include Bournescript, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, PHP, and Perl. Various embodiments maybe employed in a Lotus Notes environment, for example. Such software maybe stored on any type of suitable computer-readable medium or media suchas, for example, a magnetic or optical storage medium. Thus, theoperation and behavior of the embodiments are described without specificreference to the actual software code or specialized hardwarecomponents. The absence of such specific references is feasible becauseit is clearly understood that artisans of ordinary skill would be ableto design software and control hardware to implement the embodiments ofthe present invention based on the description herein with only areasonable effort and without undue experimentation.

Various embodiments of the systems and methods described herein mayemploy one or more electronic computer networks to promote communicationamong different components, transfer data, or to share resources andinformation. Such computer networks can be classified according to thehardware and software technology that is used to interconnect thedevices in the network, such as optical fiber, Ethernet, wireless LAN,HomePNA, power line communication or G.hn. The computer networks mayalso be embodied as one or more of the following types of networks:local area network (LAN); metropolitan area network (MAN); wide areanetwork (WAN); virtual private network (VPN); storage area network(SAN); or global area network (GAN), among other network varieties.

For example, a WAN computer network may cover a broad area by linkingcommunications across metropolitan, regional, or national boundaries.The network may use routers and/or public communication links. One typeof data communication network may cover a relatively broad geographicarea (e.g., city-to-city or country-to-country) which uses transmissionfacilities provided by common carriers, such as telephone serviceproviders. In another example, a GAN computer network may support mobilecommunications across multiple wireless LANs or satellite networks. Inanother example, a VPN computer network may include links between nodescarried by open connections or virtual circuits in another network(e.g., the Internet) instead of by physical wires. The link-layerprotocols of the VPN can be tunneled through the other network. One VPNapplication can promote secure communications through the Internet. TheVPN can also be used to separately and securely conduct the traffic ofdifferent user communities over an underlying network. The VPN mayprovide users with the virtual experience of accessing the networkthrough an IP address location other than the actual IP address whichconnects the access device to the network.

The computer network may be characterized based on functionalrelationships among the elements or components of the network, such asactive networking, client-server, or peer-to-peer functionalarchitecture. The computer network may be classified according tonetwork topology, such as bus network, star network, ring network, meshnetwork, star-bus network, or hierarchical topology network, forexample. The computer network may also be classified based on the methodemployed for data communication, such as digital and analog networks.

Embodiments of the methods and systems described herein may employinternetworking for connecting two or more distinct electronic computernetworks or network segments through a common routing technology. Thetype of internetwork employed may depend on administration and/orparticipation in the internetwork. Non-limiting examples ofinternetworks include intranet, extranet, and Internet. Intranets andextranets may or may not have connections to the Internet. If connectedto the Internet, the intranet or extranet may be protected withappropriate authentication technology or other security measures. Asapplied herein, an intranet can be a group of networks which employInternet Protocol, web browsers and/or file transfer applications, undercommon control by an administrative entity. Such an administrativeentity could restrict access to the intranet to only authorized users,for example, or another internal network of an organization orcommercial entity. As applied herein, an extranet may include a networkor internetwork generally limited to a primary organization or entity,but which also has limited connections to the networks of one or moreother trusted organizations or entities (e.g., customers of an entitymay be given access an intranet of the entity thereby creating anextranet).

Computer networks may include hardware elements to interconnect networknodes, such as network interface cards (NICs) or Ethernet cards,repeaters, bridges, hubs, switches, routers, and other like components.Such elements may be physically wired for communication and/or dataconnections may be provided with microwave links (e.g., IEEE 802.12) orfiber optics, for example. A network card, network adapter or NIC can bedesigned to allow computers to communicate over the computer network byproviding physical access to a network and an addressing system throughthe use of MAC addresses, for example. A repeater can be embodied as anelectronic device that receives and retransmits a communicated signal ata boosted power level to allow the signal to cover a telecommunicationdistance with reduced degradation. A network bridge can be configured toconnect multiple network segments at the data link layer of a computernetwork while learning which addresses can be reached through whichspecific ports of the network. In the network, the bridge may associatea port with an address and then send traffic for that address only tothat port. In various embodiments, local bridges may be employed todirectly connect local area networks (LANs); remote bridges can be usedto create a wide area network (WAN) link between LANs; and/or, wirelessbridges can be used to connect LANs and/or to connect remote stations toLANs.

In various embodiments, a hub may be employed which contains multipleports. For example, when a data packet arrives at one port of a hub, thepacket can be copied unmodified to all ports of the hub fortransmission. A network switch or other devices that forward and filterOSI layer 2 datagrams between ports based on MAC addresses in datapackets can also be used. A switch can possess multiple ports, such thatmost of the network is connected directly to the switch, or anotherswitch that is in turn connected to a switch. The term “switch” can alsoinclude routers and bridges, as well as other devices that distributedata traffic by application content (e.g., a Web URL identifier).Switches may operate at one or more OSI model layers, includingphysical, data link, network, or transport (i.e., end-to-end). A devicethat operates simultaneously at more than one of these layers can beconsidered a multilayer switch. In certain embodiments, routers or otherlike networking devices may be used to forward data packets betweennetworks using headers and forwarding tables to determine an optimumpath through which to transmit the packets.

As employed herein, an application server may be a server that hosts anAPI to expose business logic and business processes for use by otherapplications. Examples of application servers include J2EE or Java EE 5application servers including WebSphere Application Server. Otherexamples include WebSphere Application Server Community Edition (IBM),Sybase Enterprise Application Server (Sybase Inc), WebLogic Server(BEA), JBoss (Red Hat), JRun (Adobe Systems), Apache Geronimo (ApacheSoftware Foundation), Oracle OC4J (Oracle Corporation), Sun Java SystemApplication Server (Sun Microsystems), and SAP Netweaver AS (ABAP/Java).Also, application servers may be provided in accordance with the .NETframework, including the Windows Communication Foundation, .NETRemoting, ADO.NET, and ASP.NET among several other components. Forexample, a Java Server Page (JSP) is a servlet that executes in a webcontainer which is functionally equivalent to CGI scripts. JSPs can beused to create HTML pages by embedding references to the server logicwithin the page. The application servers may mainly serve web-basedapplications, while other servers can perform as session initiationprotocol servers, for instance, or work with telephony networks.Specifications for enterprise application integration andservice-oriented architecture can be designed to connect many differentcomputer network elements. Such specifications include BusinessApplication Programming Interface, Web Services Interoperability, andJava EE Connector Architecture.

In various embodiments, computers and computer systems described hereinmay have the following main components: arithmetic and logic unit (ALU),control unit, memory, and input and output devices (I/O devices). Thesecomponents can be interconnected by busses, often comprising groups ofwires or cables. The control unit, ALU, registers, and basic I/O (andoften other hardware closely linked with these sections) can becollectively considered a central processing unit (CPU) for the computersystem. The CPU may be constructed on a single integrated circuit ormicroprocessor.

The control unit (control system or central controller) directs thevarious components of a computer system. The control system decodes eachinstruction in a computer program and turns it into a series of controlsignals that operate other components of the computer system. To enhanceperformance or efficiency of operation, the control system may alter theorder of instructions. One component of the control unit is the programcounter, a memory register that tracks the location in memory from whichthe next instruction is to be read.

The ALU is capable of performing arithmetic and logic operations. Theset of arithmetic operations that a particular ALU supports may belimited to adding and subtracting or might include multiplying ordividing, trigonometry functions (sine, cosine, etc.) and square roots.Some may be programmed to operate on whole numbers (integers), whileothers use floating point to represent real numbers, for example. An ALUmay also compare numbers and return Boolean truth values (e.g., true orfalse). Superscalar computers may contain multiple ALUs to facilitateprocessing multiple instructions at the same time. For example, graphicsprocessors and computers with SIMD and MIMD features often possess ALUsthat can perform arithmetic operations on vectors and matrices. Certaincomputer systems may include one or more RAM cache memories configuredto move more frequently needed data into the cache automatically.

Examples of peripherals that may be used in connection with certainembodiments of the invention include input/output devices such askeyboards, mice, screen displays, monitors, printers, hard disk drives,floppy disk drives, joysticks, and image scanners.

Embodiments of the methods and systems described herein may dividefunctions between separate CPUs, creating a multiprocessingconfiguration. For example, multiprocessor and multi-core (multiple CPUson a single integrated circuit) computer systems with co-processingcapabilities may be employed. Also, multitasking may be employed as acomputer processing technique to handle simultaneous execution ofmultiple computer programs.

In various embodiments, the computer systems, data storage media, ormodules described herein may be configured and/or programmed to includeone or more of the above-described electronic, computer-based elementsand components, or computer architecture. In addition, these elementsand components may be particularly configured to execute the variousrules, algorithms, programs, processes, and method steps describedherein.

While various embodiments of the invention have been described herein,it should be apparent, however, that various modifications, alterationsand adaptations to those embodiments may occur to persons skilled in theart with the attainment of some or all of the advantages of the presentinvention. The disclosed embodiments are therefore intended to includeall such modifications, alterations and adaptations without departingfrom the scope and spirit of the present invention as set forth in theappended claims.

1. A computer-implemented analysis method comprising: generating, with acomputer processor, a graphical representation of income inflow andoutflow activity occurring within a group of one or more asset objectsselected in association with one or more client asset accounts for apredetermined time period; generating, with the computer processor, acalculation of estimated future income for a future period associatedwith the predetermined time period; displaying, with the computerprocessor, the estimated future income value expected for the clientasset accounts for the future period of the predetermined time period;and displaying, with the computer processor, a multi-segmented graphicaldisplay comprising: a first segment having a dimension proportioned tovisually illustrate actual income outflow value from the selectedaccounts for the predetermined time period; a second segment having adimension proportioned to visually illustrate actual income inflow valueinto the selected accounts for the predetermined time period; and athird segment having a dimension proportioned to visually illustrateestimated future income value for the selected accounts for the futureperiod of the predetermined time period, wherein displaying themulti-segmented graphical display further comprises aligning the firstand second segments such that the segment visually illustrating thegreater income value of the two segments extends beyond the othersegment for a distance proportional to the difference between the actualincome outflow value from the selected accounts and the actual incomeinflow value into the selected accounts, and wherein displaying themulti-segmented graphical display further comprises aligning the secondand third segments wherein the second and third segments combine andextend for a distance proportional to the sum of the actual incomeinflow value into the selected accounts and the estimated future incomevalue for the selected accounts for the future period.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising receiving a selection from a user to includean asset object in the selected group of asset objects.
 3. The method ofclaim 2, wherein receiving the selection from the user includes aclick-drag-drop manipulation for including the asset object.
 4. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising receiving a selection from a userto exclude an asset object from the selected group of asset objects. 5.The method of claim 4, wherein receiving the selection from the userincludes a click-drag-drop manipulation for excluding the asset object.6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one income inflow representsa change in an investment.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein at leastone income outflow represents an account withdrawal.
 8. The method ofclaim 1, wherein generating the calculation of estimated future incomefurther comprises generating an expectation of future income in the formof a dividend inflow.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein generating thecalculation of estimated future income further comprises generating anexpectation of future income in the form of an interest inflow.
 10. Themethod of claim 1, wherein displaying the first segment having adimension proportioned to visually illustrate actual income outflowvalue further comprises displaying net withdrawals associated with theclient accounts over the predetermined time period.
 11. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising displaying the multi-segmented graphicaldisplay divided into one or more sub-segments that represent sub-periodsof the predetermined time period.
 12. The method of claim 11, furthercomprising receiving data representative of selection of a sub-periodand displaying information associated with the selected sub-period. 13.A computer system for performing income analysis, the system comprising:a computer processor programmed for: generating a graphicalrepresentation of income inflow and outflow activity occurring within agroup of one or more asset objects selected in association with one ormore client asset accounts for a predetermined time period; generating acalculation of estimated future income for a future period associatedwith the predetermined time period; displaying the estimated futureincome value expected for the client asset accounts for the futureperiod of the given time period; and displaying a multi-segmentedgraphical display comprising: a first segment having a dimensionproportioned to visually illustrate actual income outflow value from theselected accounts for the predetermined time period; a second segmenthaving a dimension proportioned to visually illustrate actual incomeinflow value into the selected accounts for the predetermined timeperiod; and a third segment having a dimension proportioned to visuallyillustrate estimated future income value for the selected accounts forthe future period of the predetermined time period, wherein displayingthe multi-segmented graphical display further comprises aligning thefirst and second segments such that the segment visually illustratingthe greater income value of the two segments extends beyond the othersegment for a distance proportional to the difference between the actualincome outflow value from the selected accounts and the actual incomeinflow value into the selected accounts, and wherein displaying themulti-segmented graphical display further comprises aligning the secondand third segments wherein the second and third segments combine andextend for a distance proportional to the sum of the actual incomeinflow value into the selected accounts and the estimated future incomevalue for the selected accounts for the future period.